Amusement device



June 26, 1934. F. scHoFl-:R

AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Aug. 9. 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR y f'fdjf/m/r J LLLLLLLL BY /h/, ATTORN EY June 26, 1934. F. scHoFER AMUSEMENTDEVICE Filed Aug. 9, 1933- 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 mvENToR @ai 5019721' B ry/,@WU/Wvg AT1-ORN EY June 26, 1934.

F. scHoFER AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

Filed Aug. 9, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY Patented June 26, 1934 il.UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE AMUSEMENT DEVICE Fred Schofer, Bronx, N.Y.

Application August 9, 1933, Serial No. 684,303 8 Claims. (Cl. 273-102)This invention relates to a novel and improved erated chains from whichthe ball containers are amusement device for amusement parks,playsuspended in a plurality of members, so arranged grounds, etc. andit is the principal object of my as to present all a suitable target forshots diinvention to provide a combination shooting galrected at thesame from shooting guns of suitand old in which bullets shot fromstationary These and other Objects and advantages f my rifles, airgunsetc., destroy easily breakable recepinvention will become more fullyknown as the teclee, having Preferably the ferm Of airplanes 'B0description thereof proceeds and will then be l'ee balls Which, TunningdOWIl 2lbail guide inte more specifically deneol in the appended claims.

suitably marked pockets, close electric circuits in In the accompanyingdrawings forming a ma- 65 which lamps are located illuminating saidpockets terial part of this disclosure:

130 indicate the Wll'lllel' Of a, Shooting Contest and Fig, 1 is a,front elevation 0f an amusement de..

the game Combined therewith aCCOrdilig t0 previce constructed accordingto my invention.

e arranged rules. Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

15'V 1t will be evident that in place of airplanes I Fig 3 is a top planview 0f the device, 7e may use balloons, Zeppelns or any other SuitableFig. 4 is a side elevation of the representation ball containers ofeasily destroyable material, 0f an airplane used with my device, such asthin rubber, Celluloid, etc. Y Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front elevationthereof.

Y Another object of my invention is the provision Fig 5 is an enlargedSectional View of an air..

20.01` a Suitable frame 0I' Shelter OI' hOllSIlg my deplane used inConnection With my device, the 73' ViCe Which may heVe the Olm 0f eStage DIeSeIlsection being taken on line 6-6 of Figure 5. ing thesilhouette of a city and its river front, or Fig 7 is a fragmentarydetail View ef a Clamp any desired landscape or view, whereby the riverframe fer the airplane helder,

Watel may be represented aS Calm 01 ChODpy eC- Fig. 8 is a sectionaldetail view of a circuit '25' Still another' Object Of my illVelflJOn iSthe closing device, the section being taken on line 80 provision of astage combined with a ball guide in 8 8 ef Figure 9 form 0f an inclinedbeard equipped With a pll- Fig. 9 is a sectional front elevation of therality of nails or pins suitably spaced between eireuii; eleeerl which aball relieved from its destroyable holder Fig l0 is a eireuit diagram'30" may roll down into suitably marked pockets to AS illustrated, theamusement deviee een- 85 indicate the winner of a shooting competitionac- Strueted aeeerding te my invent-,ien comprises a Cordhg t0DTe-arranged TllieS- frame, stage or housing formed by the rear wall Afurther Object 0f my illVen'iOn iS the DTOVI* 10, front wall 11 having ashow window 12 and sion of means for slowly guiding the ball containaninneY inclined Shelf 13 and iep 14l interme- 'saine airplanes across thefront 0f the Stage t0 diateits ends. The shelf 13 Carries units under-90 form a target to be shot at from stationary gulls Side at the frontthereof an abutment 15 against so arranged as to be directed towards thetargets which leans or rests the upper end of an inclined 0h15- board 16the lower end of which is resting against A Suu further object of mymventlon 1S the a beam 17,

'40T provision of a plurality of ball receiving pockets The upper faceof board 16 is provided with 95 S0 arranged @t the OOJ the bau gmde 20ama plurality of pins 18 forming ball guides, and as to closesuitablellghvJ c1rcu1ts upon the rccelbn above the same a plurality ofcleats 19 varying non of a pau m Sad poketls and equlppef Wli in lengthare arranged in parallel relationspaced means to interrupt the circuitsupon the determlth r to form bau uides O1. Cham nation of the winner andto collect the balls lggne ano e y g thereafter' The lower end of board16 carries a plurality of Other objects of my invention are the provid 1.s readl destro 3Jble luxtaposed ball receivlng pockets 21 actlne as snmof homer frameb for the y y circuit closers generally designated 22 andto be containers for the balls to be freed by a well Q '50'V directedshot destroying its container, said miie fully CielSCllllledirelellafrtalem material th s rin controlled clamps to Dalle O g aSS Or0 a frames equlpped W1 p g 23 bearing numerals 24 at certain intervalsand hold the containers in said fra-mes and allowing a, ready exchangeof the same or the introducm any desued arrangement, ls supported at1ntion of new ball containers. tervals on its rear by spaced feet 25forming suit- 55h My invention includes also suitable motor opable ballpockets, while the front part of the 110 lery and ball game for theamusement of young able type. 6e

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pane is embedded into and held in the material of the front foot part 26of the housing.

In the foot part a ball receiving chamber 27 is formed, illuminated by aplurality of lamps 28.

The inclined bottom wall 29 allowing the balls received in the chamber27 to roll into a chute 30 inclined towards the rear to be deliveredtherein for further use.

A resetting device for the circuit pocket 2l at the end of each playcomprising a wire 31 having a plurality of substantially squareoperating members 32 is arranged in rear of the open mouth of pocket 27and is adapted to be operated by a draw rod 33 guided to the rear ofhousing 10 and provided with a handle 34.

On the stage in front of the rear wall 10 are displayed variousbuildings 35, landscapes, or for instance the silhouette of the city ofNew York, Chicago, etc. etc. and the upper face of board 13 mayrepresent water and can be also so constructed as to represent wavesetc.

The stage is illuminated by a plurality of lamps 36 arranged at theinner face of the front wall ll.

The top 14 carries near its ends sprocket wheels 37, 38 about which achain 39 is guided from which depend at certain intervals the suspensionwires or cables 40 for the horizontal bars 4l from each of which aplurality of wires 42 are suspended carrying at their lower ends theairplanes 43 or similar bodies, balloons etc. adapted to be slowly movedin their consecutive order across the front of the stage.

The shaft 44 for sprocket wheel 38 carries a pulley 45 over which a belt46 is guided, which is also guided over a pulley 47 on a spindle 48,which carries also a worm wheel 49 in mesh with a worm shaft 50,carrying a pulley 51 yadapted to be operated by means of a chain or.belt 52 from a suitable motor 53 in rear of the rear wall 11 of thehousing or stage.

'Ihe airplanes 43, as shown in Figures 4 to 7, are composed of an easilydestroyable material as for instance thin rubber, celluloid etc. adaptedto be held in a frame composed of a rear or rudder part 57, upper cover58 provided with the wings 59, cabin 60 suspended from cables 42 andcockpit 61 adapted to hold a ball 62 resting upon the upper face of thedestroyable body 43.v In order to hold the body 43 to the suspensionframe, lateral clamping frames 63, Figure 7, are provided having theirclamping members-held in engagement with the sides of the airplanes 43by means of springs 64 wound about the holder pins 65 held in brackets66 of the frame.

In Figures 8 and 9, I have illustrated in detail the ball receivingpockets 2l and circuit closers 22. The pockets 2l are made of insulatingmaterial part of the upper edge of which is provided with asubstantially semi-circular metal mounting 67 combined with a plate 67connected by a wire 68 to one pole of a source of electricity. The metalcover 22 for pocket 21 is hinged thereto by means of its pintle 69connected by a wire 70 to the other pole of the source of electricity,and the cover has formed therewith a hook 71.

My device is used as follows:

From suitable stationary rifles, suitably arranged in front of the stagein such manner as to be directed onto the targets which are suspendedfrom the chains and slowly passed in front of the stage, shots are redand aimed to destroy one or the other of Ythe destroyable airplanebodies to free the balls 62 held in their frames. Upon the scoring of ahit, the respective ball 62 will fall down into one of the channels 20on board 16 and roll down the inclined surface thereof between the guidenails or pins 18 directing the ball into one of the pockets 2l to strikethe hook 71 as indicated in Figure 3, turning the same about its pintle69 to bring metal plate or cover 22 into engagement with the metalhalf-ring 67 to close a circuit in which the lamps 28 are located whichwill be illuminated so that the pocket in which the ball has beenreceived will become visible through the numbered glass plate 23, andwill remain so until the prizes have been determined, whereupon theoperation of pull rod 33 and wires 31, 32 will move hook 71 to opencover 22 of each pocket and interrupt the circuit. The balls will rundown the inclined bottom 29 of chamber 27 into chute 30 to be collectedat the rear.

It will be understood that I have disclosed the preferred form of myinvention only as one eX- ample of the many possible ways to practicallyconstruct the same, and that I may make such changes in the generalarrangement thereof and in the construction of its minor details as comewithin the scope of the appended claims without departure from thespirit of my invention and the principles involved.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. An amusement device comprising a stage, a plurality of readilydestroyable targets suspended to move across the stage, balls normallyheld in said targets to be released upon the destruction of said targetsby shots, a ball guide lreceiving and guiding the balls released fromsaid targets. ball-receiving pockets, and means to close light circuitsto illuminate the pocket upon the reception of a ball therein, means tovisibly indicate a ball containing pocket, means to release the ballsfrom their pockets and to open the circuit upon the termination of agame, and means to collect the balls at the rear of the stage.

2. An amusement device comprising a stage, a plurality of easilydestroyable targets, frames for removably holding said targets, meansfor suspending said targets in front of said stage, means to move saidtargets successively across the stage, balls held in said frames on saiddestroyable targets to be released upon the destruction of the targetsby a shot, a game board provided with means for guiding the ballreleased from the target through a devious path, pockets for receivingthe ball from said board, pockets for the reception of a ball from saidboard, means combined with said pockets to close a light circuit uponthe reception of a ball in one of said pockets, means to visiblyindicate the pocket in which a ball has been received, means to releasethe balls from their pockets and to open the light circuit again at theclose of a game and means for guiding the released balls to the rear ofthe stage.

3. In an amusement device of the character described, a housing havingthe form of a stage, the silhouette of a city forming the background,and the representation of a river forming the front part of the stage,destroyable targets, slowly moved across the stage containing balls tobe released upon the destruction of the target by a shot, and a gameboard for receiving and guiding said released balls into pocketsprovided with means to visibly indicate a pocket into which a ball hasbeen guided.

4. In an amusement device of the character described, a housing havingthe form of a stage,

a motor operated chain guided over sprocket wheels on top of thehousing, frames suspended from said chain in suitably arranged groups,destroyable targets held in said frames containing each a ball adaptedto be dropped upon the destruction of said target by a shot, and a. gameboard for receiving and guiding said released ball into pockets equippedwith means for visibly indicating the presence of a ball in one of saidpockets.

5. In an amusement device of the class described, a housing having theform of a stage, a motor operated chain, frames suspended from saidchain and guided on top of said housing to successively appear in frontof said stage, destroyable targets in form of airplanes held in saidframes in suitable groups of three each, balls held in said frames uponsaid targets to be readily released upon the destruction of said targetby a shot, an inclined shelf upon which the released ball drops, a gameboard provided with ball guides to receive the ball from said inclinedshelf to guide the same into pockets provided with circuit closing meansoperated by the ball dropping into the pocket to visibly indicate thepocket having received a ball.

6. In an amusement device of the class described a ball guide and gameboard, a plurality of ball receiving pockets of insulating material atthe lower end of said game board, a metal cover for each pocket hingedby a pintle to said pocket, said pintle connected to one pole of asource of electricity, a metal mounting in form of a semicircular ringconnected to the other pole of said source of electricity, and a hookcombined with said cover adapted to be engaged by a ball dropping intosaid pocket to swing the cover into engagement with the semi-circularring to close the circuit, and means engaging said hook to manually openthe pocket cover for releasing the ball and opening the circuit.

7. In an amusement device of the character described, a plurality offrames, easily destroyable targets held in said frames, balls held insaid frames against said targets to be released upon the destruction ofsaid targets means to suspend said frames and targets, and means forclamping said targets to said frames.

8. In an amusement device of the class described, a plurality of frames,destroyable targets held in said frames each frame having the form of anairplane including its tail end, cabin and cockpit, said cockpit adaptedto receive and hold a ball resting on said destroyable target, means forsuspending said frames, and spring controlled lateral clamps combinedwith said frames to engage laterally said targets and allow theintroduction of new targets into said frame upon the destruction of thetargets.

FRED SCHOFER.

